RCR & Scholarly Activity In-Person Training

Introduction

Why is UK mandating RCR training?

“As a public institution of higher education, public confidence in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) by faculty, staff and students is critical. We must promote and maintain a culture that is supported by an infrastructure that educates and assists in the ethical conduct of research.”

Lisa Cassis PhD, UK Vice President for Research (VPR)

UK has had research misconduct cases in the past few years due to a failure of some researchers to follow Responsible Conduct of Research.

This effects:

  • The reputation of UK and its researchers;
  • Researchers/research personnel affiliated with the wrongdoer;
  • Personnel managing the process for research misconduct;
  • Researchers doing honest work that could have received the research funding used;
  • General public if faulty data is used in publications is relied upon by the medical community, product development, etc.

Areas of RCR Training at UK

  • Mentoring
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Peer Review
  • Research Misconduct
  • Data Management
  • Safe Work Environments
  • Reproducibility

What Will The Rest of the Day Look Like?

  • Observe 3 case studies
  • Discuss as a group
  • Summarize key points

Must have minimum 1 hour of contact together

Case Study One

Mentoring

In this session, learners will consider issues related to mentorship in research environments. Learners will view a brief case study video and participate in a group discussion and answer ethics-based reflection questions related to the presented scenario.

Through this case, learners will:

  • Consider ethical approaches to mentoring.
  • Learn about resources related to the presented scenario.

Case Study #1

Discussion

  1. Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario.
  2. Who could the graduate students speak with about their issue? Do you know of any university resources that may help in this situation?
  3. Is there anything that could have been done to prevent the situation from arising? What could be done to prevent any future disruptions to the graduate student’s progress?
  4. What are the responsibilities for both the mentor and mentee in developing a respectful and productive working relationship?

Additional Resources

Case Study Two

Research Misconduct

In this session, learners will be introduced to plagiarism.

Through this case, learners will:

  • learn about ethical issues regarding plagiarism
  • learn about available resources related to the scenario

Case Study #2

Discussion

  1. Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario.
  2. What should Dr. Lambert do?
  3. Should she contact his instructor and discuss the problem with her?
  4. Should she alert her chair that there is a “cheating” graduate student in the department?
  5. Should she tell no one else but treat the occurrence as a “teaching moment,” working with the student to help him understand the seriousness of his actions and how to correct it?
  6. Is there a way to mointor this students’ future behavior without irreparably damaging his future?

Additional Resources

Case Study Three

Safe Work Environment

In this session, learners will learn about safe work environment issues and methods for reporting this misconduct at the University.

Through this case, learners will:

  • learn about safe work environment issues (such as harassment)
  • consider how to respond to issues presented in the case study scenario
  • learn how to report safe work environment issues at the University

Case Study #3

Discussion

  1. What issues can you identify in this case?
  2. Do you think this is a safe working environment issue? Why or why not?
  3. Is it okay to treat graduate students differently?
  4. What can the graduate students do to improve their current situation? Is there anyone they can contact for help or advice?
  5. How can Dr. Belding adjust their behavior to create a more inclusive working environment?
  6. What are ways you can help promote a safe working environment?

Additional Resources

Case Study 4 (If Necessary)

Research Misconduct

In this session, learners will explore research misconduct.

Through this case, learners will:

  • learn about research misconduct
  • learn about available resources regarding misconduct at the university

Case Study #4

Discussion

  1. Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario.
  2. What should the graduate student (GS) do in this situation?
  3. What are the possible outcomes?
  4. Are the possible benefits of remaining silent greater than the potential fallout if someone else figures out that research misconduct occurred?
  5. If you were in this situation, who would you talk to for advice or report your suspicions?

Additional Resources

Feedback

Reflect

  • What were your big takeaways from the training today?
  • What lingering questions do you still have regarding the content?
  • How might you improve this training specifically for CI faculty, staff, and students in the future?

Case Studies

Post-session RCR Case Study Survey - https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79CaFBt2jglwtMi

Thank you!!